Module 5 - Performance consulting PDF

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Summary

The role of a performance consulting in an organization...

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PERFORMANCE CONSUL CONSULTING TING 1.

DEFINITIONS

Per Performance formance co consulting nsulting 

focuses on business goals plus performance outcomes or accomplishments



Is a process that produces business results by improving the performance of people in an organisation



It is results-focused and concentrates on the gaps that exist between business and performance results.

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The aim of a performance consulting process is to study and explain the “how” and the “what” that organization wants to accomplish, to ultimately enhance the organizations overall performance.



A tip for performance consultants is: Ask questions about products, services, results and measure in the language that management will understand.

Note:

HPT

(human

perf performance ormance

technology),

HPI

(human

performance

improvement), performance consulting, and perf performance ormance improvement all refer to an approach or process that has certain common pr principles inciples and could be used interchangeably interchangeably.. 2.

WHY IS PERFORMANCE CONSUL CONSULTING TING IMPOR IMPORT TANT 

It is important because it helps organisations achieve their business goals.



It is a systematic performance-oriented approach that not only focuses on implementing solutions but also on achieving sustained results.

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It helps optimize performance in the workplace, thereby supporting company business goals

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WHO ARE PERFORMANCE CONSUL CONSULT TANTS? 1.

Performance con consultants sultants 

These enablers specialize in enhancing employees’ performance. They are experts in business, human performance technology, partnering and consulting.



They collaborate with organizations to



performance problems and recommend solutions.



Their main role of a performance consultant is to identify and address the performance needs of employees.

2.

PERFORMANCE CONSUL CONSULT TANT ROLES AND COMPETRENCES NEEDED TO PERFORM THE ROLE.

The roles carried out by a performance consultant depends upon his/ her organisation; how the performance function is structured, and the kind of performance challenges he/she faces. Performance consultants fill one or more of the four key roles. Some performance consultants are responsible for all four roles, while others specialize in a combination of the four. In any case, each performance consultant role involves different competencies, although there is some overlap among competencies between roles a)

Anal Analyst yst role

The analyst is a performance detective. This is the role responsible for the initial contact with the client and identifying the performance gap. As a result, he analyst does a lot of investigation and research to determine the problem. However, the analyst is not responsible for designing and delivering the solution.

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Competences for this rol role e include: 

Front-end analysis skills.

Which is the process of identifying the performance gap and comparing actual performance with ideal performance. 

Questioning skills

This competence is important because this work involves gathering information from performers. 

Good at synthesis skills

This is the ability to integrate diverse data into a coherent whole. It is critical because the analyst usually gather information from a variety of sources, such as interviews, focus groups, surveys, observation, and document review. b) Per Performance formance Im Improve prove provement ment Specialist The second role of performance consulting is that of what Rothwell (1999) referred to as intervention specialist which is now referred too as performance improvement specialist. These may design and implement the solution or supervise a contractor or expert who designs and delivers the solution. They also have the responsibility of coordinating a team of people who help create the solution. This may be especially true for distance learning courses that may involve a team of subject matter experts, IT and programming staff, instructional designers, graphic designers, and multimedia staff. Competences required: 

Expertise with the solution and some degree of project management skills.



Ability to interpret the information generated by the analyst to design, or guide the design, of possible solutions. It is important that the performance improvement specialist can interpret information. 3



Organising and coordinating skills -The performance improvement specialist may also have to coordinate projects with multiple solutions to the same problem. As a result, another key competency for this role is the ability to assess relationships among solutions.

c) Change Manager Rol Role e



Under this role, performance consultants are responsible for establishing and maintaining healthy partnerships with leaders of the organization.

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Managing change is a part of any performance improvement project—even very small ones of limited scope and focus.

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However, this is a more distinct or specialized role for performance consultants on very large and diverse projects. For instance, if the performance gap involved several thousand performers with multiple solutions —training, job aids, changes in appraisal processes, revising organizational policies, and re-engineering feedback processes—then the value of a dedicated change manager becomes much more obvious.

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A good change manager also needs to deal with resistance to change. It may be necessary to set up and conduct meetings with employees to provide information and gain feedback about the proposed change.

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A combination of staff members and customers may choose to fight the change, so the change manager must be ready to deal with this resistance.

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Development of a communication plan is always an important part of a solution or series of solutions, and a change manager often will coordinate the development and implementation of such a plan.

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Most changes encounter unexpected obstacles consisting of unanticipated issues, breakdowns in the solution, or unplanned resistance. The change manager will usually play a big role in dealing with these solution potholes. 4

Competencies 

A good understanding of group dynamics processes because so much of their time will be spent working with teams responsible for rollout or communication.



Good process consultation skills, because she needs to be good at observing both individuals and groups, seeing how they interact, and knowing how their interactions affect others.

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Good facilitation skills because they may be responsible for planning or facilitating meetings, feedback sessions, and organizational conversations about the solution. Consequently, individuals with strong OD consulting backgrounds can be effective change managers.

d) Eval Evaluator uator role



He/she is responsible for measuring results on a variety of levels. For instance, the evaluator can assess the degree to which participants have improved their skills, or the evaluator may need to identify how much impact the solution had on larger business goals, such as increasing sales, improving market share, or enhancing customer responsiveness. The evaluator needs to discuss with the client the resource; time and money required for the solution and its evaluation. However, often an evaluator is brought into a project after a solution has been implemented, when the customer is pressured to show the value of the work. In these cases, in which the evaluator was not on hand for the early conversations to shape expectations and identify appropriate targets, the evaluation process is reactive. The evaluator may also be brought in to help improve particular solutions during the piloting or beta-test stages.

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Competences 

Data gathering and analysis are also very useful for evaluators.



Skills to be able to compare results with organizational goals. Standard-setting skills, which are used to measure desired results and to help



others establish targets. Effective feedback skills the basic competency that an evaluator must have,



because he will be reporting results back to clients and stakeholders and may often be delivering bad news. Activity 1: Use your prescribed bo book ok and internet to identify other roles that a performance consultant may perf perform orm in the organi organisation. sation. Provide compe competences tences for each role 3.

CONTEXUALISA CONTEXUALISATION TION OF PERFORMANCE CONSL CONSLTING TING

This section focuses on new performance elements that are currently receiving enhanced emphasis due to current business requirements. 3.1

The need to partner with manage management ment

Wr Write ite brief summaries on these performance elements (Refer to your prescribed book, page:. Y You ou can also use the internet to assist yyou ou complete these summaries.

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THE PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT PROCES PROCESS S Begins with: Analysis process: This is constituted of performance analysis and causes analysis . In perfomance analysis, comparison of the present and the desired levels of individual and organizational performance to identify the performance gap (Desired performance and Actual performance) 1.

A cause analysis is then done to determine what impact the work environment (information, resources, and incentives) and the people (motives, individual capacity, and skills) are having on performance.

Once the performance gap and the causes have been determined, the appropriate interventions are designed and developed. These may include 9

measurement

and

feedback

systems,

new

tools

and

equipment,

compensation and reward systems, selection and placement of employees, and training and development. The interventions are then implemented and the

change

process

managed.

Evaluation is done after each phase of the process. Initially, formative evaluation assesses the performance analysis, cause analysis, intervention selection and design, and intervention and change phases. Then evaluation focuses on the immediate response of employees and their ability and willingness to do the desired behaviors. The final evaluations are centered on improvement of business outcomes (such as quality, productivity, sales, customer retention, profitability, and market share) as well as determining return on investment for the intervention.

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